Performing actions on objects as a result of applying tags to the objects

ABSTRACT

Methods to tag objects in a cloud computing environment, by tagging an object with a first tag, of a plurality of tags, wherein each of the plurality of tags specifies a respective criterion for objects tagged by each tag, and upon determining that the object not satisfy the criterion of the first tag, performing an action associated with the first tag to modify the object to meet the criterion of the first tag.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/451,569, filed Aug. 5, 2014. The aforementioned relatedpatent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to computer software, and morespecifically, to computer software to perform actions on objects as aresult of applying tags to the objects.

Tags have traditionally been used to organize files and other computingresources. Tags are typeless, in that a user may assign any type ofmeaning to any tag, without computer software understanding what the tagsignifies. However, simply tagging an object does not cause the objectto comply with the meaning of the tag.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein include systems, methods, and computerprogram products to tag objects in a cloud computing environment, bytagging an object with a first tag, of a plurality of tags, wherein eachof the plurality of tags specifies a respective criterion for objectstagged by each tag, and upon determining that the object not satisfy thecriterion of the first tag, performing an action associated with thefirst tag to modify the object to meet the criterion of the first tag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a graphical user interface to perform actions on objectsas a result of applying tags to the objects, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 depicts a system to perform actions on objects as a result ofapplying tags to the objects, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 depicts a method to perform actions on objects as a result ofapplying tags to the objects, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 depicts a method to perform actions associated with a tag,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 depicts a graphical user interface to use tags in aninfrastructure lifescycle, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 depicts a cloud computing node according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments disclosed herein associate textual tags with specificactions, such that when the tag is applied to computing objects, theactions are run in order to configure the object (or dependent objects)to comply with the tag. Tags may be applied directly to objects in acloud computing environment, such as a computing resource or a workloadto be deployed in the cloud computing environment. The computingresource may be hardware, software, or any combination thereof. Theworkload may be tagged with specific resource requirements, such thatthe resources targeted by the tagging are configured to be in compliancewith the tag's criteria.

A tag, as used herein, refers to a textual metadata classifier thatannotates (or classifies) an object with a set of criteria. Furthermore,a tag, as used herein, may provide an associated set of actions thatcause tagged objects to comply with the criteria, if the tagged objectsdo not already comply with the criteria. If the tagged objects alreadycomply with the criteria, the objects may be classified without actingon them. The tags may coexist with conventional tags in the samenamespace. As used herein, an object may refer to, without limitation,any computing resource (software, hardware, or both), workflow, orworkload.

For example, a user may define a “grayscale” tag that causes digitalphotographs and other digital images to be processed so that they have agrayscale color depth, if they don't have the grayscale color depthalready. The user may associate the grayscale tag with a script that isconfigured to apply grayscale color depth to the digital images. When auser subsequently tags a digital photograph with the grayscale tag, thescript may be invoked to convert the digital photograph from color tograyscale. As another example, a user may define an “EnergySaver” tagthat may initiate actions and policies to adjust power capping, energyusage, and migrate virtual machines in order to shut down servers tosave energy. When the user tags a virtual machine image with theEnergySaver tag, subsequent deployments of the virtual machine imagewill be deployed to a cloud computing configuration that complies withthe predefined power saving techniques and requirements.

In any case, tagging objects as disclosed herein may be used to not onlyclassify objects, but to configure objects so that they are altered toreflect the tag's meaning, and to specify requirements for workloadsthat have not yet deployed. Embodiments disclosed herein allow users,who tag existing resources with a specific purpose (as defined by thetag), to configure new resources for the same specific purpose withouthaving to run complex actions and configurations each time. Furthermore,since tagging is used for classification and filtering, embodimentsdisclosed herein allow users to use the tag to understand whichresources comply with the tag, as well as which resources are beingconfigured to comply with the tag. The tag may specify any requirement,including, without limitation, as minimum resource allocations,operating parameters or environment, security parameters, virtualresource configurations, quality of service, class of service, and thelike.

FIG. 1 depicts a graphical user interface (GUI) 100 to perform actionson objects as a result of applying tags to the objects, according to oneembodiment. As shown, the GUI 100 lists different resources in a cloudcomputing environment. In this example, the resources are the objects towhich tags are applied. Each resource includes a name 101, a type 102, acategory 103, and a set of tags 104. The name 101 may be a name of aresource, such as the servers 1-3, and the workflow 1. The type 102indicates a type of the resource, such as an x86 computer, Power7server, or disk image. The category 103 indicates a category theresource belongs to, such as compute node or image. Although depicted tofacilitate explanation of the disclosure, the type 102 and the category103 are not required to enable tagging of an object. A tag may beapplied to any label or identifier sufficient to uniquely identify anobject. The tags 104 are a set of user-defined tags that have beenapplied to the object, in this example, servers and a workflow. The tagsmay be associated with a specified set of criteria and a set of actionsthat alter the resource to make the object comply with the set ofcriteria. Generally, a user may define any number and type of tags forany object. When a user wishes to apply a tag to an object, the user mayapply any feasible method to apply the tag. As shown, for example andwithout limitation, a user is typing a tag 105, which is the DualVIOStag. A popup notification 106 indicates that the user may apply the tagby pressing enter. The user may define the DualVIOS tag to be associatedwith two redundant virtual I/O servers. In defining the DualVIOS tag, auser may specify one or more criteria and associated actions. In oneembodiment, the user may tag existing scripts used to deploy the dualvirtual I/O servers, configuration patterns, or other templates thatcontain configuration information for the dual virtual I/O servers.Additionally, workflow images may be tagged, thereby specifying specificcriteria that need to be present in order for the workload to bedeployed in a data center.

Generally, when a user tags an object, embodiments disclosed herein mayreference a data store of existing tags to determine if the tag haspreviously been defined. If the tag has not been defined, the user mayspecify the criteria and associated actions that cause different objectsto comply with the tag. As such, users can apply previously definedtags, as well as create tags in a freestyle and ad hoc manner. If thetag has already been defined, the criteria and actions may be retrievedin order to ensure that the object complies with the tag.

When the user enters the tag 105, embodiments disclosed herein mayanalyze server 3 to determine whether the server is compliant with thetag. To determine if server 3 is compliant with the DualVIOS tag, thetag requirements may be compared against the current configuration ofserver 3. For example, a data store reflecting the status, capabilities,and configuration of server 3 may be referenced to identify whether itcurrently is executing (or is capable of executing) the dual virtual I/Oservers. Additionally or alternatively, the resource (server 3) may bequeried directly (or through a proxy, such as a management controller)to determine if server 3 is executing the dual virtual I/O servers. Ifserver 3 is not currently executing dual redundant virtual I/O servers,embodiments disclosed herein may initiate a predefined set of actions todeploy the dual virtual I/O servers onto server 3. A user may optionallybe prompted to approve the changes to server 3 prior to deploying thedual virtual I/O servers.

As another example, as shown, workflow 1 has also been tagged with theDualVIOS tag 104, as the workflow requires the two virtual I/O serversto run properly. When workflow 1 is subsequently deployed in a cloudcomputing environment, embodiments disclosed herein may enforce theDualVIOS tag 104 by ensuring the deployments include the dual virtualI/O servers. If, for example, active host servers having the dualvirtual I/O servers configured, embodiments disclosed herein may deploythe workflow 1 to one or more of such active host servers. If activehost servers are not found running dual virtual I/O servers (or that arecapable of hosting dual virtual I/O servers), embodiments disclosedherein may scan other resources to find host servers in stand-by orother low priority pools that are compatible. This compatibility may bedetermined, as discussed above with reference to server 3, byreferencing stored information of the stand-by servers, or retrievingthe capabilities and current configuration of the stand-by serversdirectly (or by proxy). Once a compatible server is identified as atarget, embodiments disclosed herein may tag the resource with theDualVIOS tag, which initiates the re-configuration of the server toinclude the dual virtual I/O servers. Once the configuration of theservers is complete, the workload may be deployed to the target server.

Generally, users may define any type of tag specifying any number andtype of criteria, as well as any associated actions. As another example,a user may tag a compute node with a “PowerVC1” tag, which causes thenode to be registered with a management application named “PowerVC1.”Appending the tag DualVIOS to the compute node tagged PowerVC1 wouldcause the node to be added to the hardware management console (HMC3),installing two virtual I/O servers on the tagged node, and then addingthe node into the PowerVC1 management application.

FIG. 2 depicts a system to perform actions on objects as a result ofapplying tags to the objects, according to one embodiment. The networkedsystem 200 includes a computer 202. In at least one embodiment, thenetworked system 200 is a cloud computing environment. The computer 202may also be connected to other computers via a network 230. In general,the network 230 may be a telecommunications network and/or a wide areanetwork (WAN). In a particular embodiment, the network 230 is theInternet.

The computer 202 generally includes a processor 204 connected via a bus220 to a memory 206, a network interface device 218, a storage 208, aninput device 222, and an output device 224. The computer 202 isgenerally under the control of an operating system (not shown). Examplesof operating systems include the UNIX operating system, versions of theMicrosoft Windows operating system, and distributions of the Linuxoperating system. (UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group inthe United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows aretrademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, othercountries, or both. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds inthe United States, other countries, or both.) More generally, anyoperating system supporting the functions disclosed herein may be used.The processor 204 is included to be representative of a single CPU,multiple CPUs, a single CPU having multiple processing cores, and thelike. The network interface device 218 may be any type of networkcommunications device allowing the computer 202 to communicate withother computers via the network 230.

The storage 208 may be a persistent storage device. Although the storage208 is shown as a single unit, the storage 208 may be a combination offixed and/or removable storage devices, such as fixed disc drives, solidstate drives, SAN storage, NAS storage, removable memory cards oroptical storage. The memory 206 and the storage 208 may be part of onevirtual address space spanning multiple primary and secondary storagedevices.

The input device 222 may be any device for providing input to thecomputer 202. For example, a keyboard and/or a mouse may be used. Theoutput device 224 may be any device for providing output to a user ofthe computer 202. For example, the output device 224 may be anyconventional display screen or set of speakers. Although shownseparately from the input device 222, the output device 224 and inputdevice 222 may be combined. For example, a display screen with anintegrated touch-screen may be used.

As shown, the memory 206 contains a tag application 212, which is anapplication generally configured to apply user-defined tags to computingobjects, and cause user-defined actions to be applied to tagged objects.Generally, users may define any types of tags, which may be stored inthe tag data 215. If the user creates a tag that has not been previouslydefined, the user may specify the tag criteria and any associatedactions that may be performed in order to cause tagged objects to complywith the tag criteria. When a user applies a tag to an object, such ashardware, software, or a combination thereof, the tag application 212may identify the tag criteria, and compare the criteria to the taggedobject. The object properties may be stored in the object properties217, or the object properties may be retrieved by querying a resource,or an application managing the resource. If the object complies with thecriteria, the tag application 212, in some cases, may not take anyfurther action. If the object does not comply with the tag criteria, thetag application 212 may perform one or more predefined actions to bringthe object into compliance with the tag. The actions associated with thetag may be stored in the action items 216. For example, if a user tags aserver as “webserver,” the tag application 212 may identify thecorresponding tag in the tag data 215, identify any action items 216(user defined or otherwise) that cause a server to be configured as aweb server, and execute the steps necessary to configure the server tohost a web server. Additionally, the tag application 212 may groupobjects with common criteria together.

As shown, storage 208 contains the tag data 215, action items 216, andobject properties 217. The tag data 215 contains a plurality of tagsthat may be applied directly to an object, such as a computing resourceor a workload that targets computing resources. The tags in the tag data215 may be associated with specific criteria and a set of actions thatmay alter a resource to comply with the tag criteria. The action items216 is a repository of computer-executable code, scripts, or otherconfiguration methods that may alter objects in order to make theresources comply with different tag criteria. In at least oneembodiment, the action items 216 may themselves be tagged with tags fromthe tag data 215. Similarly, the tag data 215 may specify associateditems in the action items 215. Doing so associates the tags in the tagdata 215 with predefined actions in the action items 216, which allowsthe tag application 212 to ensure that objects are configured accordingto the tag criteria. The object properties 217 is a store configured tohold configuration information and other attributes of objects in thesystem 200. The object properties 217 may generally includeconfiguration and attributes of computing resources or workflows. Forexample, hardware configurations, software configurations, and otherinformation about one or more hosts 250, virtual machines, and othercomputing resources may be defined. In addition, the object properties217 may also specify each tag that has been applied to each object.

The hosts 250 are compute nodes which perform different computingfunctions. For example, the hosts 250 may be configured to execute oneor more virtual machines 261, or store data in storage locations 262. Inone embodiment, the hosts 250 may be compute nodes in a cloud computingenvironment.

FIG. 3 depicts a method 300 to perform actions on objects as a result ofapplying tags to the objects, according to one embodiment. Generally,the steps of the method 300 run a set of predefined actions when a userapplies a textual tag directly to a resource, or in reaction to aworkflow or workload being deployed that is tagged with specificresource requirements, such that the resources targeted by the taggingare configured to be in compliance with the tag criteria. In at leastone embodiment, the tag application 212 performs the steps of the method300.

At step 310, a user may define tag attributes, criteria, and associatedactions that are performed responsive to a user tagging an object withthe tag. For example, a user may define a “SecurityCertified” tag, whichmay specify a set of security parameters for a hardware object, softwareobject, or combination thereof. The tag attributes and criteria may bestored in the tag data 215. The user may further specify actionsassociated with the tag, such as applying security to communicationstransmitted by the object, configuring firewalls, and the like. Theassociated actions may be stored in the action items 316. At step 320,the tag application 212 may receive user input tagging an object with atag. Generally, the user may tag any object in a computing environmentwith a tag, such as a computer, networking device, software image, filesin storage locations, and the like. For example, the user may tag acompute node (i.e., a server) in a cloud computing environment with theSecurityCertified tag. The tag application 212 may also store the tag ina record for the tagged object in the object properties 217, reflectingthat the tag has been applied to the object. At step 330, the tagapplication 212 compares the tag criteria, which may be stored in thetag data 215, to the object's current configuration. The tag application212 compares the object properties to the criteria in order to determinewhether the object complies with the tag criteria. For example, the tagapplication 212 may determine whether the server, tagged with theSecurityCertified tag, complies with the predefined attributes andcriteria of the SecurityCertified tag. The tag application 212 mayretrieve the server properties and configuration information from theobject properties 217, the server itself, or a proxy, such as amanagement controller that manages the server.

At step 340, the tag application 212, upon determining that the tagcriteria are not met, performs the actions associated with the tag inorder to cause the object to comply with the tag. The associated actionsmay be, without limitation, a script, set of actions, or otherconfiguration methods that may alter objects to make the object complywith the tag criteria. For example, the tag application 212 may causefirewalls to be configured, enable encryption on the server, and thelike. Generally, the tag application 212 may cause any action to betaken to configure the tagged object, or resources that the taggedobject targets.

As an example involving tagging a workload, the user may apply theSecurityCertified tag to a workload image. When the workload issubsequently deployed, the tag application 212 may ensure that theresources the workload is deployed to comply with the SecurityCertifiedtag. For example, the tag application 212 may identify resources thatcomply with the SecurityCertified tag attributes. If the tag application212 does not find any matching (tagged) resources, the tag application212 may automatically tag the existing resources to cause existingresources to be reconfigured to comply with the tags. OnceSecurityCertified resources are configured, the SecurityCertifiedworkload may be deployed to the resources for processing.

FIG. 4 depicts a method 400 corresponding to step 340 to perform actionsassociated with a tag, according to one embodiment. Generally, the stepsof the method 400 result in the reconfiguration of resources such thatthe resources comply with the tags applied to different objects. Thetagged objects may be resources, data, or any combination of hardware orsoftware. Additionally, the tagged objects may be workflows targetingdifferent computing resources in a cloud computing environment.

At step 410, the tag application 212 may optionally prompt for userapproval prior to triggering the actions to change the computingresources affected by the tags applied by the user. At step 420, the tagapplication 212 may generally invoke any associated scripts, patterns,or other templates that include configuration information designed tobring tagged objects into compliance with the tag criteria. For example,if a user tags a file as PasswordProtected, the tag application 212 mayinvoke a script which applies a password to the file. The script mayapply a default password, or prompt a user to specify the password. Ifthe object is a resource, the tag application 212, by the invokedactions at step 420, causes the resource to be configured to comply withthe tag criteria at step 430. If the tagged object is a workload, atstep 440, the tag application 212 may identify existing targets (such ascompute nodes) satisfying tag requirements. If the tag application 212finds no such existing resources, the tag application 212 may identifyexisting resources capable of meeting tag criteria. The tag application212 may then tag these resources such that they are reconfigured to meetthe tag criteria. At step 450, if the tagged object is an item instorage, the tag application 212 causes the item in storage to bemodified to meet tag criteria. For example, if a user tags a digitalphotograph with a specified image format, the tag application 212 mayinvoke the necessary actions to convert the photograph to the specifiedimage format. Generally, the tag application 212 may invoke any numberof actions in order to cause the object to meet any number of criteriaspecified in the tag.

FIG. 5 depicts a graphical user interface 500 to use tags in aninfrastructure lifescycle, according to one embodiment. Generally,applying tags to objects in a computing environment allows the tags tobe leveraged in order to manage the computing environment. In somecomputing environments, hundreds of thousands, if not millions ofobjects, need to be managed. As shown, the GUI 500 provides a set oftags 510 that a user can select in order to filter the resources down toonly those resources having the specified tag. Therefore, when the userselects the Website tag 512, only those resources tagged with theWebsite tag may be displayed. In addition, a set of tools and actionsscoped to the selected tag may be displayed. For example, and withoutlimitation, elements 511 and 512 allow a user to deploy a Websiteworkload and add website resources, respectively. When the user selectsthe elements 511 or 512, any added resources or workloads would betagged with “Website,” and any hardware configuration to make the newlyadded hardware compliant with the Website tag would be performedautomatically. In addition, different management tools 520, 530, 540,550, and 560 allow users to view management providers, workloadstatuses, workloads with issues, hardware maps, and capacity/policiesrelated to the selected tag, respectively. Generally, the tools 520-560are small views that summarize different categories of objects so thatin one dashboard, many kinds of objects can be seen in summary. Forexample, if a user clicks “Website,” the user instantly sees any objecttagged with Website. In addition, in tool 520, the user would see howmany hardware management consoles and how many virtual managementconsoles are involved in managing the web sites. In tool 530, the userwould visualize how many workloads in the datacenter are contributing tothe web sites. In tool 540, the user would see how many workloadscontributing to web sites have problems. Using tool 550, the user wouldsee what actual hardware components (computers, storage, network) aresupporting the web sites. Finally, using tool 560, the user wouldreceive an aggregate ‘utilization’ view highlighting how many resourcesand what kinds of policies are manipulating the web sites.

Advantageously, embodiments disclosed herein provide textual tags thatare associated with predefined criteria and actions, such that when thetags are applied to objects in a computing environment, the actions areexecuted in order to configure the object (or dependent objects), suchthat the object complies with the tag. The tags may be applied tophysical or virtual resources, software, data, and any other componentin a computing environment. By defining a tag, users can configure itemswithout substantial effort. Tagging, which is a universal way toclassify objects, may therefore be extended to configure objects suchthat they are altered to reflect the tag's meaning. Furthermore, thetags may specify requirements for workloads that have not yet beendeployed. When the workload is subsequently deployed, the workload maybe deployed to underlying resources that comply with the tag criteria.

It is understood in advance that although this disclosure includes adetailed description on cloud computing, implementation of the teachingsrecited herein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather,embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented inconjunction with any other type of computing environment now known orlater developed.

For convenience, the Detailed Description includes the followingdefinitions which have been derived from the “Draft NIST WorkingDefinition of Cloud Computing” by Peter Mell and Tim Grance, dated Oct.7, 2009, which is cited in an IDS filed herewith, and a copy of which isattached thereto.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a schematic of an example of a cloud computingnode is shown. Cloud computing node 610 is only one example of asuitable cloud computing node and is not intended to suggest anylimitation as to the scope of use or functionality of embodiments of theinvention described herein. Regardless, cloud computing node 610 iscapable of being implemented and/or performing any of the functionalityset forth hereinabove.

In cloud computing node 610 there is a computer system/server 612, whichis operational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with computer system/server 612 include, but are notlimited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thinclients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmableconsumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframecomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments thatinclude any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 612 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 612 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 6, computer system/server 612 in cloud computing node610 is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Thecomponents of computer system/server 612 may include, but are notlimited to, one or more processors or processing units 616, a systemmemory 628, and a bus 618 that couples various system componentsincluding system memory 628 to processor 616.

Bus 618 represents one or more of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 612 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 612, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

System memory 628 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 630 and/or cachememory 632. Computer system/server 612 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 634 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 618 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 628 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 640, having a set (at least one) of program modules 642,may be stored in memory 628 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 642 generally carry out the functionsand/or methodologies of embodiments of the invention as describedherein.

Computer system/server 612 may also communicate with one or moreexternal devices 614 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display624, etc.; one or more devices that enable a user to interact withcomputer system/server 612; and/or any devices (e.g., network card,modem, etc.) that enable computer system/server 612 to communicate withone or more other computing devices. Such communication can occur viaI/O interfaces 622. Still yet, computer system/server 612 cancommunicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 620. As depicted, network adapter 620communicates with the other components of computer system/server 612 viabus 618. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 612. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrative cloud computing environment 750 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 750 comprises one ormore cloud computing nodes 610 with which local computing devices usedby cloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant(PDA) or cellular telephone 754A, desktop computer 754B, laptop computer754C, and/or automobile computer system 754N may communicate. Nodes 610may communicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown)physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private,Community, Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or acombination thereof. This allows cloud computing environment 750 tooffer infrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which acloud consumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 754A-Nshown in FIG. 7 are intended to be illustrative only and that computingnodes 610 and cloud computing environment 750 can communicate with anytype of computerized device over any type of network and/or networkaddressable connection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 8, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 750 (FIG. 7) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 8 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 860 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include mainframes, in oneexample IBM® zSeries® systems; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)architecture based servers, in one example IBM pSeries® systems; IBMxSeries® systems; IBM BladeCenter® systems; storage devices; networksand networking components. Examples of software components includenetwork application server software, in one example IBM WebSphere®application server software; and database software, in one example IBMDB2® database software. (IBM, zSeries, pSeries, xSeries, BladeCenter,WebSphere, and DB2 are trademarks of International Business MachinesCorporation registered in many jurisdictions worldwide)

Virtualization layer 862 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers;virtual storage; virtual networks, including virtual private networks;virtual applications and operating systems; and virtual clients.

In one example, management layer 864 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning provides dynamic procurement of computingresources and other resources that are utilized to perform tasks withinthe cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing provide costtracking as resources are utilized within the cloud computingenvironment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.Tagging allows users to tag objects in the cloud computing environmentand cause the objects to conform to the applied tags, as described ingreater detail above. Service level management provides cloud computingresource allocation and management such that required service levels aremet. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planning and fulfillment providepre-arrangement for, and procurement of, cloud computing resources forwhich a future requirement is anticipated in accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 866 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation; software development and lifecycle management; virtualclassroom education delivery; data analytics processing; transactionprocessing; and mobile desktop.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storagemedium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a programfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention,other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised withoutdeparting from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof isdetermined by the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method to tag objects in a cloud computingenvironment, comprising: tagging, by operation of a computer processor,a first object and a second object with a first tag, of a plurality oftags, wherein each of the plurality of tags specifies a respectivecriterion that objects tagged by the first tag must comply with, whereinthe first object comprises a compute node in the cloud computingenvironment, wherein the second object comprises a workload targetingthe compute node, wherein the respective criterion comprises at leastone of: (i) a physical resource allocation, (ii) a virtual resourceconfiguration, (iii) a quality of service, (iv) a class of service, and(v) an operating condition in the cloud computing environment; comparinga respective attribute of the first and second objects to the respectivecriterion of the first tag; determining, based on a result of thecomparison, that the first and second objects do not satisfy therespective criterion of the first tag; identifying a first set of actionitems and a second set of action items associated with the first tag,wherein the first and second sets of action items, when executed, alterthe first object and the second object, respectively, to cause the firstand second objects to comply with the respective criterion; performingthe first and second sets of actions associated with the first tag tomodify the first and second objects, respectively, to meet therespective criterion of the first tag; and deploying the workload toexecute on the compute node in the cloud computing environment incompliance with the respective criterion of the first tag and withoutconfiguring the first and second sets of action items.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein a first action item of the first set of action itemscomprises a first script associated with modifying the compute node tocomply with the respective criterion of the first tag, wherein a secondaction item of the second set of action items comprises a second scriptassociated with modifying the workload to comply with the respectivecriterion of the first tag.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein performingthe first and second action items comprises executing the first andsecond scripts, wherein the attributes of the first and second objectscomprise one or more of: (i) a service provided by the respectiveobjects, (ii) a security attribute of the respective objects, and (iii)a configuration of the respective objects.
 4. The method of claim 1,further comprising: subsequent to performing the first and second setsof action items associated with the first tag, comparing the attributesof the objects to the respective criterion of the first tag;determining, based on the comparison, that the objects comply with therespective criterion of the first tag; and storing an indication thatthe objects comply with the respective criterion of the first tag. 5.The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to executing the firstand second sets of action items, receiving user input approving themodification of the objects.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: displaying a set of the plurality of tags; and responsive toreceiving selection of the first tag, outputting for display arepresentation including all objects tagged with the first tag,including the first and second objects.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising: identifying a plurality of compute nodes forexecuting the workload in the cloud computing environment; determiningthat an attribute of each of the plurality of compute nodes does notcomply with the respective criterion of the first tag; identifying afirst compute node, of the plurality of compute nodes, wherein the firstcompute node is capable of meeting the respective criterion of the firsttag; tagging the first compute node with the first tag; and performingthe first set of actions associated with the first tag to cause thefirst compute node to comply with the respective criterion of the firsttag, wherein the workload is deployed to the first compute node.